Semi-closed office machine stand or small desk



July 1, 1958 o. H. KEssLER, JR., ETAL 2,841,410

SEMI-CLOSED OFFICE MACHINE STAND OR SMALL DES-K 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1954 INVENTOR En yMa/vo M 5:44a, Je 077'@ H. ifa-55452. Je

AM' ArraeA/E v5 July 1, 1958 o. H. KEssLER, JR., ETAL 2,841,410

SEMI-CLOSED OFFICE MACHINE STAND oF SMALL. DESK Filed May 3, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN T0125 SEMI-CLOSED OFFICE MACHINE STAND OR SMALL DESK Filed May 3, 1954 July 1, 1958 o. H. KEssLER, JR., ETAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1299 Zeifilii tese iatened July l SEME-CLOSED OFRECE MACHENE STAND OR SMALL DESK Otto H. Kessler, Jr., and Raymond N. Sellon, Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to Stoiper Steel Products Corporation, Menomonee Fails, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 3, 1954, Serial No. 427,196

2 Claims. (Cl. 28d-4e) This invention relates to a semi-closed office machine stand or small desk.

In its preferred embodiment, as herein disclosed7 the desk is legless in the sense that the base ofthe desk cornprises sheet metal on edge extending continuously from one side of the knee opening across the front of the desk, about the end, across the back, across the other end, and thence to the other side of the knee opening. The resulting base has the appearance of two narrow pedestals and a back closure, all desirably fabricated from a single piece of sheet metal, the ends of which are turned inwardly at the knee opening to provide a broad at vertical surface which will not snag the clothing of the user. integral portions of the upright sheet metal which forms the base are flanged inwardly at its upper and lower margins, the corners being spanned at the lower margins by gussets to rigidify the base structure and to provide firm support for the top.

The desk top is desirably in the form of an inverted shallow pan integrally provided with sides which register with the sides of the base and from which inturned anges are formed to seat on the upper ianges of the strip of sheet metal which provides the base. The top is desirably reinforced for stiffness by corner gussets and'also vhas a shallow channel welded to its lower surface and extending longitudinally of the desk. The channel may have apertures in its sides aligned with an aperature in the front side of the desk top to receive and guide a drawer. In lieu of drawers in the pedestals, it is preferred that at least one of them may be provided with a shelf accessible through the knee opening ofthe desk and we may also provide in the topstructureofthe desk a depending hook for the support" of the users purse or the like.

The relatively narrow legless pedestal portions of the base receive prefabricated carrier housings within which lever systems support casters which may be raised and loweredV so that the weight'of the desk may readily be transferred between its adjustably fixed feet and the casters or wheels. The lever systems in the respective pedestals include corresponding operating levers crossconnected by aA bar ton move in unison. These levers are so designedV as tostand upwardly within the pedestals when'the-desk ison-the casters and to pivot into the rear of the desk, so that theactuating bar is, out of the way of the user, when the' desk is mounted on its feet for use.

v In the drawings: Y

Fig. l is a view in perspective showing a preferred embodiment of the. invention.

Fig. 2 is a View taken in vertical front to rear section on an enlarged scale in the plane indicated 2-2 in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, fragmentarily illus trating the same part of the desk with the actuating lever pivoted to the position to which it moves when the desk is in use.

Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed view showing in disassembled relationship component parts of the caster carrier.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view taken in section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detailed View taken in section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a view taken in vertical front to rear section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 9 is a View taken in section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, portions of the top re-enforcing channel being broken away.

Fig. l0 is a fragmentary View taken in section on the line iii- 10 of Fig. 8.

Fig. ll is a fragmentary detailed View in perspective showing the mounting of the concealed hook for supporting the users purse, portions being broken away.

The desk top generically designated by reference character 1S may have the form of an inverted shallow pan as best appears in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. Its exposed upper surface desirably has its central area depressed `at 16. There are depending sides 17 at the front, 18 and 19 at the respective ends, and 20 at the rear of the top.

Integral portions of the respective sides are desirably hanged inwardly at 2l and connected by gussets 22 for rigidity. Between the gussets at the front corners, the flange 2l may be rolled inwardly and upwardly, as best shown at Z3 in Fig. 8, to provide a smoothly rounded surface for avoidance of snagging the Wearers clothing.

The base portion 2S of the desk provides two narrow pedestals at the respective ends thereof, each of them being formed by sheet metal on end. Desirably the two pedestals are integrally connected by a web about the back of the desk.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be observed that the strip of sheet metal used for this purpose has one of its ends 26 turned inwardly at the left hand side of the knee opening 27. The opening is bounded by a shallow portion 28 of the strip, from which the strip extends at 29 along the front of the left hand pedestal Si?, curving rearwardly at 31 to form the end wall 32. At the rear of the pedestal, the strip of sheet metal curves at 33 to extend at 34.- across the rear of the desk as the rear Wall thereof. The strip of sheet metal again curves at 35 to form the right hand end wall 36 across the right hand pedestal 37. At 33 the strip of sheet metal curves again to extend at 39 across the front of the right hand pedestal, being anged inwardly at 40. By forming the entire base of sheet metal positioned on edge, we provide a base which is extremely rigid without requiring the use of the usual legs or internal braces or supports.

At the upper margin of the sheet metal strip which forms the base, as above described, we provide an inwardly turned flange 41 which lies beneath the ange 2l of the top 15 and is spot welded thereto, assuming that permanent assembly is desired. (See Fig. 8 and Fig. l0.)

Drawers in the pedestals are not deemed essential in view of the narrowness of the pedestals. In lieu thereof, shallow trays or shelves may be provided if desired, as shownV at 42 in Figs. l, 8, and 10. As best illustrated in Fig; l0, the shelf 42 has flanges welded to the sheet metal strip which forms the pedestal 3i) and it also has an upstanding ange 43 which tends to coniine any article placed on the shelf.

If a top drawer is desired, it may readily be provided. The entire desk top l5 is desirably reinforced by a shallow longitudinally extended channel 44 having flanges 45 welded to the desk top along its under surface. Openings 46 and 47 in the front and rear sides of the channel register with an opening 43 in the front wall 17 of the desk top. Spanning the channel at opposite sides of such openings are parallel guides 49 (Fig. 9) between right hand carrier housings 60 and 61, best shown in which the drawer so is YSudam@ acrossth bottom of the' Vto receive the shank portion'53 of hook- 51. TheV free end of the shank 53'V is turned inwardly as shownat 54 and received through a hole 55 in the side wall of chan- Anel 44. The arrangement permits the hook toA swing pivotally in the hole 55 to and from a position in which tne hook shank is normally seated in the saddle 52,'thereby being retained ag'ainstwithdrawal of its end portion 54 from hole 55. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable ,the hook to be readily positioned within the'desk after the desk is'otherwise complete.

Within the respective pedestals 30 and 37 are left and Figs. l to 8. Each such carrierhousing comprises a `forward bracket 62 and a rearward bracket 63. Pivoted Vto the forward bracket is a channel shaped lever 65. Pivoted to the rear bracket is a channel shaped lever 64.

Lever 65 has an extension plate at 650 which laps therV Vinner'end of lever 64, as best shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

Between the free ends of the `respective levers 64 and 65, and desirably in relatively close proximity to their respective pintles 66 and 67, the levers carry casters 68 and 69ghaving the usual wheels 70. When the levers are moved into substantial horizontal alignment, as shown in'Fig. Y2, Vthe casters project therebeneath far enough to support the desk. With the levers pivoted to converge Y upwardly, as in Fig. 3, the caster wheels 70 are retracted from desk supporting position. The desk' corners are provided with feet 71 which Vare desirably carried on bolts 72 to be adjustable for leveling purposes. These bolts are held by nutsr73 to gusset plates 74 which span,

at the desk. corners,the inwardly turned flange 75 with which the sheet metal strip forming the base is provided. With Vthe caster carrying levers 64, 65 in the' position of Fig. 3,'the'feet 71 will rest on the floor to support the weight of the desk duringuse.V With the levers 64, 65 in the position of Fig. 2, the casters will be supporting the desk and the feet 771( will berfree of the oor.

Control of the position of the kcasters is determined by channel Yshaped control levers 80 and 81 (Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 7 V) These are correspondingly pivoted on pintles 82 mounted .in the respective carrying housings. The free ends of the levers project upwardly and are connected longitudinally Vof the interior of the Vdesk yby a rod 8.3 having its ends fixed (in the respective levers; Y

The flanges of therespective channel shaped levers may be rounded at 84 to provide cam surfaces engageable with the projecting plate 650 of lever 65 whereby aV pull exerted on rod 83 in a forward directionrwithin the desk will raise the two levers VSilfand 81 from the horizontal position of Fig. 3 to theA vertical position of Figs. 2, 4, 7 and 8, thereby camming the caster carrying levers 64, 65 to horizontal positions toraise the desk from feet 71 for support and transportation on the casters.V The Y tion of Fig.,3,v until such movement is brought about by and any'machines mounted thereon to be Yhandled with g Yeaseboth `in raising and'in lowering to and from the Y fixed feet 71.

The provision ofthe hole at 88-in the top ofthe desk is, of course, optional. It maybe used' either to anchor a piece of oce equipment on the desk or to receive the tubular support of a lamp or the like.

We claim:

ln a desk having a top, a pair of pedestals beneathVV the ends of the top, each pedestal comprising an upright Y sheet metal channel closed atits front and back andV outer side and opened inwardly beneath the desk top, together with a foot carried at each end of each pedestal beneaththe corners of the desk top, a controlV housing extending from the front to the rear of the desk within the lower portion of each pedestal,l levers within the respectiveV housings pivotedthereto andV provided Vwith castersV movable toV and from` desk supporting position below the level of respective feet and a common control for said levers including lever means pivoted to the respective housings and a rod connectingV said last lever means and extending longitudinally of the desk between said pedestals.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the :firstV mentioned levers pivoted to the respectivevhousings have pintles at the ends of the housings, one of said levers havinga wear plate connected with itand lapping the free' end of the other lever, the said lever means for actuating the levers first mentioned.V comprising a camsurface enf gageablewith said wear plate for moving the iirstmenlower ends of the respective levers are desirably Y squarecut to be perfectly stable in contact with plate 650 in the position of Fig. 2 so that there will be no tendency for the levers to be freed frommovement toward the positioned levers downwardly upon the Ymovement of the lever means toward an upright position, said last mentionedlever means being normally retracted to aV substantially horizontal position. Y A

f References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,255,427 Jones Feb.'r5, 1918 1,397,827 Williams Nov. 22,1921 1,820,026 Y Kuenhold Aug. 25, 1931 1,856,847 Gates May 3, 1932 1,866,174 Richardson v July 5, 1932 1,975,004 Ienkins^ Sept. 25, 19734 Y 2,106,544V Wege Ian. 25, 1938 2,182,037 Schmitz Dec. 5, 1939 2,191,290 Richardson Feb. 20,1940 2,223,193 Fafel Nov. 26, 1940/ 2,229,046 Carson Jan. 21,V 1941 2,309,214 Rey Ian. 26, 1943V 2,319,581 Brownlee May 18, 1943Y 2,471,245 Shoenbergj May 24,V V1949 2,482,611 Deutemeier Sept. 20, 19,49.Y 2,542,648 Flowers Feb. 20,1951 2,658,811 Eck Nov. 10, 1953 2,676,863

Cooper Apr. 27, 1954 

